


They Will Grow To Love

by Hotspur



Category: Henry IV Part 1 - Shakespeare
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Stuttering Harry, meeting as children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 13:48:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6807532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hotspur/pseuds/Hotspur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Percy and Kate Mortimer meet as children.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Will Grow To Love

**Author's Note:**

> An anonymous prompt in tumblr, Katespur meeting as children. This more or less fits historically as Harry was 15 when they were married. I've changed their ages a bit so they're closer in age and I went with Shakespeare's name for the future Lady Percy, Kate, rather than her historical name Elizabeth.

"Harry! Come here," Northumberland called. He took his son's shoulder. "I have someone to introduce to you." He pulled Harry Percy, ten years old, across the hall. It was a day of feast and sport and the elder Percy had already lost track of his son twice.

"Do I have to talk to someone again?" Harry whined. 

"Yes, and you have to be nice to her," Northumberland replied, gritting his teeth. 

"Her??" Harry whined loudly, then shut up when his father grabbed his ear. 

Northumberland greeted another noble. "Good afternoon, Mortimer."

MORTIMER?

"Ah, Percy. Pleasure to see you. Is this your Henry? He's grown so much," Mortimer said.

"Say hello, Harry," Northumberland said. 

"H-hello, Lord M-mortimer," Harry stammered in reply. He had smelled a rat and this confirmed it. He knew exactly who this girl he had to talk to and be nice to was.

"I believe you remember my daughter, Kate," Lord Mortimer said. He gently drew the girl that had been hiding behind him out in front. Kate was a few years younger than Harry. Her long dark hair hung in a braid, keeping it from her round face. Harry would have said she was pretty, if he had liked girls and cared about things that were pretty, of which he did neither.

Kate wasn't particularly shy but this meeting wasn't to her liking any more than Harry's. They both knew why they were there. The decision wasn't theirs, their parents had made it for them. 

"Go play," Northumberland said, shoving Harry toward Kate, who just stared at the strange blond boy. Finally she turned and walked out to the garden, and Harry reluctantly followed. 

Kate took off into the garden, past groups of talking adults and into the mazes of flowers. Harry went after her, doggedly, not sure what they were playing. Once he spent the bare minimum of time with her, he could go do what he wanted.

Finally, Kate turned around and glared at him. "Stop following me!" 

"Fine," Harry replied. Kate sat down on a bench, looking miserable. 

"W-what's wrong?" 

"Go away, Harry Percy," Kate replied. "I'm mad." 

"I can see th-that," Harry said. 

"You talk funny."

Harry stiffened at the blow. "S-so do you." 

"I'm from WALES," Kate replied, derisively. 

"I'm f-from Northumberland," Harry sparred. His stutter got worse as he got angrier.

"Go back to Northumberland," Kate said. "I don't want to marry you." 

"W-well w-we're not g-getting married today," Harry said, scratching his neck. 

"I don't ever want to marry you," Kate amended.

"G-good, b-because I d-don't w-want t-to m-marry you EITHER!" The stammering rather lessened the effect, Harry thought, but at least their feelings were clear. He stormed off.

"Good," Kate replied softly, even though he was gone. Just as well. 

\----

Harry found Kate in a sunny part of the garden a few hours later, sitting away from the other children and reading a book. 

"Hello Kate," he said shyly, approaching her cautiously.

She didn't look up from her book. 

"W-what are you reading?"

"A story," Kate replied stiffly. 

"About what?" 

Kate looked up finally. Maybe Harry might admit she looked kind of nice. "It's Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," she said. She noted Harry had his hand behind his back.

"I like that story," Harry said. "I w-want to be like Gawain."

"I'm sure you will be," Kate said with a sigh. 

Harry brought his hand out from behind his back. In it he had a bunch of flowers. "Sorry for shouting at you," he said. "I-I need to be less shouty."

"Sorry I said you talk funny," Kate said. Harry wasn't sure what to do, so he put the flowers in her lap and sat down next to her. Kate picked up the flowers and smelled them. He hadn't bothered to clean off the dirt but at this moment she didn't care. At this moment this was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. 

Maybe Harry Percy wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
